You are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

0
0

[–] Tsilent_Tsunami ago 

Are we not towing the spiritual line together?

Tricksy phrasing, but unless you have a boat named The Spiritual Line, toeing is the word.

0
0

[–] akilyoung ago 

How funny... I always thought it was towing the line, as in pulling a line/rope together. But Yes, toeing the line, as in carefully WALKING on a tightrope makes total sense as well.

0
1

[–] Tsilent_Tsunami 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

"Toe the line" is an idiomatic expression meaning either to conform to a rule or standard, or to stand poised at the starting line in a footrace. Other phrases which were once used in the early 1800s and have the same meaning were toe the mark and toe the plank.

From military experience, our physical version of toeing the line was to literally place our toes (while inside our boots) on a line painted on the ground.